Back to relief help
Lost in the Mitchell report is that a bunch of guys just became free agents due to teams not offering them arbitration. There are two I would like the Yankees to explore for bullpen help. They'd come fairly cheap so they are low risk, cut them if they don't work out.
First is Mark Prior. There's a decent chance he'd only go to a team that would start him (my first inclination is him going to Washington as he's the type of risk Bowden would take, they need pitching, and it's a pitcher's park), but maybe he can be convinced that being a relief pitcher could keep him healthy, and who better to do a 1-year internship with than Mariano Rivera, to become a high-paid closer.
Sure he might be done, but he's low risk and at age 27 is worth a shot.
Second is Akinori Otsuka. I guess it was the Rangers' plethora of pitching that made them decide to let him go. Maybe the Rangers know more about his medical reports that make him really not worth it. It seems odd to me though as you would think they would have been able to trade him. Sure he had injury problems last season, but he still had a 2.51 ERA in over 30 innings, has a 2.44 career ERA, and has shown himself to be able to close if necessary. What relievers are going for this offseason, and that there is no commitment beyond this year, it was odd that they couldn't get anything back for him. I would definitely take a chance on him.
2 comments:
There's a third option as well, Cory Doyne. He got lit up in 3.2 innings with the Orioles last year, but was pretty good in AAA. In the International League he held batters to a .152 average, had 49 K's in 44 innings and had 29 saves. He had a 2.23 ERA. He's 26, so no youngster, but having more relievers to pick from never hurts.
Well, yeah... except that he was signed to a minor league deal by the Orioles yesterday.
Speaking of the non-tenders, I wouldn't be upset to see the Sox take a chance on Dallas McPherson. They need a back-up corner infielder, and he's still relatively young (27). I assume he'll sign with a team that will give him more playing time, but he's worth looking into.
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